


Not Guilty

by RisingSm0ke



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Gender Neutral Character, Hurt/Comfort, Literal Sleeping Together, Nightmares, Other, brief mention of sex, lots of kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-04-01 11:03:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13996923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RisingSm0ke/pseuds/RisingSm0ke
Summary: Julian's guilt plagues him, even in sleep. Luckily a certain apprentice is there to comfort him.





	Not Guilty

**Author's Note:**

> My MC's name is Vonder and uses they/them pronouns! Takes place after Book 8, but before Book 9

He'd awoken from yet another nightmare, startling upright with a quiet shout that dragged Vonder to wakefulness. They sat up as well, shifting to face Julian, his good eye wide and brow covered in a thin sheen of sweat. His distress was obvious, even in the hazy darkness Vonder could see the tension in the stiff lines of his shoulders and the furrowing of his brow.

Silently they looped their arms loosely around Julian's waist, resting their cheek against the hard planes of his back. He sighed, one thin hand dragging across the rumpled sheets to rest gently on those linked over his stomach.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Julian murmured, thumb rubbing soothing circles on the back of Vonder's hand.

"Mhmm," Vonder confirmed, giving him a comforting squeeze, "But s'alright, I don't mind. Was it the same dream again?"

Julian sighed, gently unwinding Vonder's arms from around his middle, and turning to lie on his side. His bedmate followed suit, snuggling close as the doctor's long arms wound around their smaller form in a tight hug.

"Unfortunately so," He sighed into the small gap between their faces, noses nearly touching in the near complete darkness of Vonder's empty shop. "It seems even in sleep I can't escape what I may have done."

Frowning, Vonder pulled away from their companion, taking in the shadow under his visible eye and the soft slant of his down-turned lips as he avoided their gaze. Reaching to grasp one of his hands, Vonder lifted it from its spot on their waist, raising it instead to their lips. Pressing soft kisses to each of his knuckles until Julian's slate gray eye met Vonder's sorrowful gaze, they gave him a weighted look before speaking.

"I don't think you did it," They said quietly, eyes dropping to examine the slender hand held in their own, running their thumb over Julian's prominent knuckles and extending his fingers. Their lips resumed their gentle kisses, this time lingering on the joints of the doctor's elegant fingers.

"These are not the hands of a killer, Julian, you are a kind man who takes pain away, not one who bestows it." The words were said with a quiet confidence, their mouth ghosting over pale skin between kisses, even as their eyes drifted sadly to the dormant mark on his neck. They knew first hand just how selfless Julian could be, he didn't think twice before shouldering the weight of others' burdens. A man so kind didn't deserve to feel such guilt.

"Mmm, you believe so? Even after that time I left you on the dock?" Julian attempted to joke, but his tone only sounded remorseful and thick with exhaustion. His eye dropped to the murderer's brand, stained permanently to his skin, the weight of his gaze conveyed more than words ever could.

"Mhm," Vonder hummed, pausing to press a meaningful and lingering kiss to the damning tattoo, drawing Julian's attention purposefully back to themself. "You didn't want to, if I remember correctly," They said with a small smile, recalling the many kisses Julian had given them that night, each proclaimed to be the last before he pulled them back for another.

Julian blushed, clearing his throat with a forced cough as he too remembered their time on the dock before he escorted Vonder home.

"But I still did," He said, sounding less sure of his argument now.

"And yet here we are," Vonder said teasingly, looking up at Julian through their lashes, smile growing as his blush deepened, eye going soft. Their easy forgiveness always made Julian's heart swell, and tonight was no different. What they saw in him, he would never understand, but he was learning to be grateful all the same.

"Indeed we are," He relented, moving closer to slot his sharp nose against Vonder's, their matching smiles brushing each other as he spoke. "Whatever would I do without you, my dear?"

"Probably be getting drunk on more salty bitters, avoiding the wrath of your sister," Vonder snickered, picturing quite clearly the look on Portia's face when they'd found Julian sulking in the Rowdy Raven.

Julian threw his head back with a bark of genuine laughter, threading his fingers through Vonder's and pulling them impossibly closer with his other hand still behind their back. When he stooped back in to look at Vonder again, his gaze was fond, smile wide.

"How right you are," He chuckled before leaning in to press a heated kiss to Vonder's lips, smile growing at the feel of their arms worming their way around his neck, hands tangling in his thick hair.

"God's, I love you more than I've loved anything before," He whispered into their shared air as they broke to breathe. His words were so earnest Vonder couldn't help the pleased giggle it drew from their chest, eyes sparkling with happiness and affection as they leaned their forehead against his.

"I love you too, Julian," They beamed, glad to see their partner more at ease. "Now go back to sleep please, you need your rest."

At their words Julian huffed, bottom lip sticking out in a pout. "Are you sure? I can think of a few, much more fun, activities that beds are good for other than sleeping..." He said with a waggle of his eyebrows, voice dropping an octave as his hand on their back started to trail dangerously low.

"I don't think so," Vonder chastised sternly, fighting to keep the smirk off their face while one hand moved to catch Julian's before it could wander too low, repositioning it in the middle of their back. "Maybe if you're good and go to sleep, we can have fun tomorrow."

"I'm not a child, Vonder," Julian whined, shifting into a more comfortable position while giving Vonder his best playful sneer.

"Oh I should hope not, I just offered to have sex with you after all, and it would be terribly indecent of me to do so to a _child_ " Vonder said offhandedly, arching a brow at Julian with a blank expression.

Their words startled choked laughter out of the man beside them. Vonder could feel it vibrating deep in his chest where their bodies met as he squeezed them together. He took a moment to let the amusement subside, chuckling into the crown of Vonder's head, a persistent smirk tugging at his thin lips.

"Oooh, my dear," Julian chortled, blinking mirthful tears from his eye, "Truly I would be lost without you... Goodnight, love." He said after a pause, voice filled with tender warmth.

"Goodnight," Vonder sighed, wriggling in Julian's arms to burrow against his warm chest, head tucked under his chin with a hum of contentment as they drifted back into a comfortable sleep.

 

 


End file.
